We recently had the pleasure of discovering a piece of Europe we have never been to before… the Tyrolean Alps in Austria. We booked 4 days there as part of a Germany/Austria road trip and really had no idea what to expect. Apart from a little trip to Innsbruck and a dip down across the border into Italy for the day we had no plans other than to just explore the Tyrol.
Turns out, the Austria mountains (especially the Wipptal Valley) are one of the prettiest places we have ever stayed.
Towering peaks frame the area in the distance but closer to home you are met with dense pine forests, wildflower meadows, scattered hamlets and hidden waterfalls. The Tyrol air is crisp and clean with the faint smell of wood-smoke from alms-houses ready to serve you your lunch. On quiet mornings a low-hanging mist hovers just above the fields, slowly lifting to allow the sun to spill across pastures of cows and their dangling bells. It’s idyllic, isolated, and inviting and we’d like to introduce you to its best bits…
The Tyrolean Alps Of Austria
Nestled in the heart of the eastern Alps, Tyrol (or Tirol in German) is a stunning alpine region in western Austria. It borders Bavaria (Germany) to the north, Switzerland to the west, Italy to the south and Salzburg to the east. We booked 4 nights in the north Tyrol region that includes the capital, Innsbruck, and a popular hiking valley called Wipptal. We were in for a real treat.
IN THIS ARTICLE WE’LL COVER;
- What to expect of the Austrian Tyrol – the locals, roads and tolls
- Which area to stay and some great accommodation recommendations
- How to take advantage of free public transport with the Wipptal Card
- Hiking in the Wipptal Valley and using the alms houses en route
- Visiting Innsbruck
- Some other great places to visit in the Tyrolean Alps
What To Expect In Tyrol, Austria
We spent 2 weeks driving across Germany and Austria and what we would say of Tirol is what we would say of the rest of our time in Austria: the people are polite and welcoming, everywhere is pristine and preened, and the toll roads are expensive!
Austrians are very hospitable and those opening up their homes to visitors are keen to make sure you have the best stay. We experienced this in every place that we stayed with hosts going out of their way to help us and the same can be said of cafe’s, restaurants and alm-houses too.
And whilst the Austrian’s aren’t perhaps as jovial and friendly as Germans, they certainly make up for it with a deep sense of responsibility, care, and quiet pride in what they do. It’s obvious there’s a genuine desire to do things properly—not just for the sake of appearances, but for the greater good of everyone. You get the sense that Austrians value quality, order, and community. It’s not flashy—it’s deeply rooted, sincerity with a purpose.
Now back to those pesky toll roads! On our trips across Europe we’ve usually found that you pay a toll for the amount of road that you use. It’s usually not begrudged either because you generally get quieter, better roads to drive on. Not in Austria! Whilst the roads are definitely well maintained, they are usually busier than neighbouring countries – perhaps due to a lack of lanes on motorways. AND, the tolls are a flat fee. So whether you are taking the motorway through the Inn Valley all the way from Innsbruck to the Brenner Pass in Italy or you’re just using one junction’s worth from Matrei am Brenner to Innsbruck, both journeys will cost you €12 for the pleasure of driving on a piece of their motorway. That’s expensive tarmac. But we did find a work-around which we will get to in the section Taking Advantage Of Free Public Transport With The Wipptal Card. And also, there’s always the option of taking the slower mountain roads if time is not of the essence – we did this several times and you definitely see more beauty spots than from the motorway.
Where To Stay In The North Tyrol Area
When you’re visiting the North Tyrolean Alps in Austria, you’re probably envisioning a few days of hiking, funicular rides and mountain vista’s. And whilst those adventures should definitely be part of your trip and need to influence your hotel choice, don’t rule out some day trips to towns and cities too. Innsbruck was well worth visiting and is easily reached by train, as was another little Italian town we visited too, only an hour away – Vipiteno. With that in mind we’d like to recommend the place where we stayed…
FEISERHOF NAVIS
Feiserhof Navis is a renovated Tyrolean farmhouse made up of three apartments where the owners live upstairs. Our regular readers will know that we are suckers for a view and most places we stay are booked based on this little detail – well, in this department, Feiserhof Navis outdid itself. To sit on our sun-loungers with that view every evening, with a glass of wine (and the occasional treat left by our hosts, Michi and Simon) after a long day in the hills was just perfection. Inside the apartments, every detail has been taken care of – they are well equipped, beautifully designed and really cosy. It’s also perfectly located for all of the places we wanted to visit too, plus the local hikes are breathtaking – more on that later.
Although we visited the Wipptal in July, Feiserhof Navis is well equipped to take care of skiers in the winter months as well, and the slopes are only 10 minutes away. As is the local town of Matrei am Brenner – a cute little alpine village with colourful houses, a handful of supermarkets, and the best place for coffee and pastries in the morning… Aste Brot, next to the MPREIS supermarket.
For the best deals at Feiserhof Navis, click here.
Some other recommendations for hotels in the area…
The JUFA Hotel is a great choice for families with an on-site pizza house, an indoor climbing wall for the kids and large family rooms.
A more budget option in a traditional ski lodge is Gasperlerhof on the slopes of the Stubai Glacier.
Free Trains, Buses And More In The Wipptal
One of the most convenient perks of staying in Wipptal, and one we were completely oblivious to before arriving, is the Wipptal Card (Wipptal Karte). It’s a complimentary guest card provided by your accommodation upon arrival, either in paper or digital form, which allows you access to free transport on both local buses and trains. We took advantage of it to travel to Innsbruck for the evening, for some of our journey to Vipiteno in Italy, and for the local buses after a long day of hiking.
The card functions as your ticket for free use of all regional buses and the S-Bahn train line between Innsbruck and Brenner. It also unlocks discounts and free participation in local guided activities—hikes, snowshoeing, bike tours, and more—through its bundled weekly program. We also used it at the Bergeralm cable car for a 50% reduction on our ticket.
Staying at Feiserhof Navis meant that we were only a 5 minute drive to the Matrei am Brenner train station, and the car parking there is free. It took us 15 minutes to get to Innsbruck on the train (and avoided those pesky toll roads!) and it was just over an hour to the beautiful Italian town of Vipiteno.
Hiking In The Wipptal Valley
With the dramatic Stubai and Tux Alps on either side of the Wipptal Valley, you’re always walking in the shadow of something epic. But we preferred the hikes across flower-filled meadows and centuries-old farm tracks that crisscross the side valley of Navistal.
Named after the local town of Navis, and the namesake of our apartment, Feiserhof Navis, the Navistal Valley offered exactly the kind of peaceful, authentic alpine experience we were looking for. Surrounded by pine forests, cascading streams, and rolling hills dotted with traditional wooden huts, the valley feels like a step back in time. The trails here are well-marked and gently graded, making them ideal for half-day walks or leisurely full-day hikes that reward you with expansive views over the Tyrol valley and beyond.
This part of the Tyrol seems to have remained blissfully off the radar compared to some of Austria’s more touristed areas. Hiking here you’ll pass working-Alpine farms, little wooden chapels, and maybe hear the distant clang of cowbells. Then, when it’s time to eat, you’ll probably stumble across an alms-house serving homemade food, like fresh dumplings, hearty soups, and elderflower syrup – all washed down with some of the owners homemade schnapps.
We formulated our routes from two articles we found about local trails and local alms-houses, because what is a hike if it can’t be enjoyed with a beer…
https://www.alltrails.com/austria/tyrol/navis
https://www.komoot.com/guide/226908/huts-and-cabins-around-navis
Alternatively you could choose another Wipptal side-valley and do similar graded hikes but with different vista’s. Gschnitztal, Obernbergtal, Schmirntal and Valsertal are the other side valley’s in this part of the Tyrol.
Obernbergtal
Visit Innsbruck
Although we were drawn to Tyrol for its natural beauty and prospects of scenic hikes, we couldn’t resist carving out some time to explore its small but perfectly formed capital, Innsbruck. It may only have been a 15 minute train ride from our mountain base, but the city felt like the perfect change of pace, offering a compact dose of culture, history, and good food without the usual big-city chaos. Plus, it was nice to ditch the walking boots and dress up for a change!
In the Old Town colourful buildings lean in over cobbled streets and ornate signs hang above shopfronts. The famous Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof) is hard to miss, glistening in the sun and surrounded by the Nordkette mountains. The riverside walk along the Inn is another highlight – classic pastel-coloured townhouses reflect in the water and a small street food market sells everything from käsespätzle to Italian arancini.
If you have time and want to get a better view of the city, the Nordkette cable car is right in the centre and takes you from downtown to dramatic mountain scenery in just minutes. We didn’t go up this time (our hiking legs had already been well-used in the Austria mountains), but it’s firmly on our list for next time.
All in all, Innsbruck is the perfect contrast to the slower pace of the surrounding valleys. You could easily spend a whole day there, or just pop in for the evening like we did. Either way, it’s a city that manages to feel both grand and grounded—like the mountains that watch over it. A worthy trip we think.
Other Places To Visit In Tyrol, Austria
Whilst we were only staying in Tyrol for four days, we did manage to pack a lot in! So here are a few of our local recommendations for day trips…
THE STUBAI GLACIER – accessed from the Hochstubai cable car you can ski on the glacier nearly all year round. But particularly in the summer there are scenic hiking trails, glacier tours, ice caves, and panoramic viewing platforms (like the Top of Tyrol at 3,210m).
TAKE THE BERGERALM CABLE CAR – with the Wipptal Card 50% reduction, this is probably the most cost effective way of doing some high mountain hiking in this area. There are lots of routes down from the top and a particularly scenic walk is to Lake Lichtsee.
GET THE TRAIN TO VIPITENO – A trip to Italy is always a good idea in our books, so when we realised we were so close to the border, a Vipiteno day-trip seemed like a no-brainer. Colourful, cobbled and full of charm, Vipiteno feels like a postcard-perfect blend of Austrian alpine and Italian flair. We wandered through its ancient streets, enjoyed a proper Italian cappuccino in the sun, ordered a pizza for lunch (obviously) and soaked up the laid-back, slightly Mediterranean pace that instantly let us know we’d crossed the border.
Vipiteno, Italy & Achensee
ACHEN LAKE (ACHENSEE) – We never had time to visit this alpine lake but it came very highly recommended from a couple of friends and it’s on our list for next time. About an hour from Wipptal, this is Tyrol’s largest lake with many waterside trails for all levels and plenty of cafes and pubs nearby. When you read the reviews online, many say this is their favourite lake in all of Austria!
VISIT ‘HALL IN TIROL’ – Just a 20-minute drive from Innsbruck, Hall in Tirol has a beautifully preserved Old Town that is actually larger than Innsbruck’s and full of medieval character. Think narrow alleyways, colourful facades, and ornate doorways. Wander the cobbled streets, sip coffee in its quiet squares, and browse little independent shops at your leisure. A little Tyrol hidden gem.
You know, four days in the Tyrolean Alps just wasn’t enough! There are so many beautiful hikes to take in this corner of the world, and so many cute villages to drink coffee in. Wipptal has really whet our appetite for more Austria holidays and we know we will return one day. In the meantime we will continue to sing its praises to anyone who will listen! We’ve discerned from the grapevine that the alps are becoming more of a summer holiday choice of late – whether that be because of over-tourism in other parts of Europe, or the rising temperatures through July and August – no matter, we can wholeheartedly recommend the Austria mountains as a great summer destination.
We hope we’ve inspired you to dip your toe into Austria, and no doubt we’ll be back soon with more articles about this stunning location, but in the meantime here are a few more from our Germany/Austria Road-trip…
Why Garmisch Partenkirchen Should Be Your Next Alpine Escape
The Cheapest & Quickest Way To See Lake Eibsee, Bavaria
The Nightmares AND The Fairytales Of Hallstatt, Austria – A Travel Guide You Need To Read First
3 Days In Berchtesgaden – The Eagles Nest, Salzburg, Konigsee Lake & More
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